Christian Problems.

Instead of enriching and empowering people Christianity does the opposite, it weakens people's ability to think rationally. They have been conditioned that they are sinful depraved people living in a state of sin without Jesus in their lives. This is the controlling spirit of fear because they are led to believe that without Jesus they will be punished in the everlasting eternal fires of hell. It is this fear of hell that keeps a Christian in bondage (subject to external control) to the church. Today there are many liberal Christian believers who do not actually believe in Hell, so I must ask the question. Are they true followers of the supposed Jesus? Because according to the bible Jesus said in Matthew 18:9. "If you eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire." Mark 9:43-47. Verse 43 says," If your hand causes you to sin cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched---- etc, etc." N.K.J.

If believers do not believe in hell then they are virtually calling the supposed Jesus whom they follow, a liar.

Christian thinking is supposedly bible-based faith but I don’t think today's liberal Christian has a clue anymore as to what the bible really says. Many people carry their bible around on a Sunday when they go to their 'bless me club' service, and for the rest of the week it is usually out of sight somewhere. Very few Christians have ever read the bible through from cover to cover, let alone read it with any serious thought. This is mainly because people don't think for themselves, and they make no effort to become informed.

Too often people have a passionate opinion about something and they refuse to listen to another's views or to seek out the facts. This is extremely so in the Christian faith as they just don't want to listen to the facts. I understand this only to well, as I was part of this belief system for many years. I would refuse to read or listen to anything that was contrary to what was being taught by the church.

CRUCIFIXION / RESURRECTION

WHERE DID JESUS GO?

Did Jesus go to heaven after he died on the cross? Because he said to one of the thieves along side of him as recorded in Luke 23: 43, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." If that is the case then why did he say to Mary Magdalene after he rose from the dead as recorded in John.20: 17, "Do not cling to me for I have not yet ascended to my father." He also stated prior to his crucifixion in Matt. 12: 40b, "So will the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Something amiss here.

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The nailed up victims on crosses along the highways of Judea, in the era of Pontius Pilate, were the objects of Roman military justice in a conquered province.

Crucifixion was impossible under Jewish law, but the Romans had long since broken the power of the Jewish state and replaced it with their own death penalties and their own executioners.

Age of Earth.

It can be calculated from the very bible itself that the earth's age and the existence of its people is 6000 years, give or take a few years. Many Christians don't believe this as they follow geological scientific records instead. This should pose a real problem for the Jesus followers, as anything older than 6000 years upsets the biblical genealogy of Jesus to Adam, and if Adam and Eve with their original sin cannot be established then there is no need for the supposed 'virgin birth' or Jesus. Up until the 1900’s the inside cover of the bible used to state that creation began in 4004 b.c. Only one guess allowed as to why this entry was removed from later publications of the bible.

Flood Time.

How many Christians ever give much thought to the Genesis flood? It supposedly happened about 2438 b.c.e. (before common era) Genesis 7:4. "I will cause it to rain upon the earth 40 days and nights, and I will destroy all living things". (Does all living things include fish and flora?) Verse 18 says. "The water covered the highest mountain by 15 cubits" (28 Feet).

The highest mountain is Mount Everest at 8848 metre.

Let us do a conservative tongue in cheek calculation as to how heavy the rain fell. 8000 metres of water in 40 days = 200 metres daily = 8.3 metres hourly = 13.8 centremetres a minute non-stop for 40 days and nights. This sort of deluge would have scoured away all topsoil from the face of the earth. What about the ocean fish? The sea-water would have become so diluted with rainwater that the fish would have all perished. Remember God said he was going to kill all living things, Genesis 7:4, if this included fish then how come we have fish with us today? Were fish recreated through a speedy evolution?

Genesis 7:24 says. "The earth was submerged 150 days." This would have killed all vegetation. Genesis 8:4 says. "The Ark came to rest in the 7^th month on the mountains of Ararat and the waters decreased continually until the tenth month when the tops of the mountains were seen."

Lets look at the Ark's measurements. The bible says that the Arks length is 300 cubits (550 feet), width 50 cubits (91 feet), height 30 cubits (55 feet). One cubit is 18-22 inches.

There are estimated 10,000,000 to 40,000,000 plant and animal species on earth, more than 15,000 different mammals, 250,000 different beetles, birds 10,000 known species, snakes 2,500 species Without considering butterflies, spiders, insects, worms etc. The bible says 2 of each kind and 7 of each kind for those considered clean. Are elephants unclean? Can you imagine all of these being housed in a boat of the size mentioned? 8 people as well as food in the Ark to feed and tend all of these creatures, for a minimum of ten months, also disposal of waste matter etc

What about Koalas who need fresh eucalyptus leaves for food and moisture as Koalas don’t drink.

When the Ark settled on top of Mt Ararat, after 10 months, how did the pairs of koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats and other native animals make it back to Australia? It would have been a long swim 4,500 years ago.

Science.

Every Scientific Advancement in the past can be directly attributed to what the bible calls worldly, foolish, unspiritual, earthly ways of thinking. These advancements only came about because some people stuck their neck out in spite of persecution from Christians.

Galileo born 1564 is an early example, he was one who discovered that the 'earth revolved around the sun', which was contradictory to biblical scripture. In 1616 a Jesuit Cardinal Robert Bellarmine told Galileo he must no longer hold or defend the concept that the earth moves. Galileo was finally charged with being a heretic, was jailed but eventually put under house arrest. If Galileo had lived 50 to100 years earlier, then he may have been burnt at the stake by Christians. Today we know beyond the shadow of a doubt that Galileo was correct and that the bible was wrong.

Christianity today still rejects scientific advancement, freedom of religions, and freedom of speech. If Christianity could topple governments (their working on it through the Worldwide Council of Churches) then we would see a return to the dark ages, civil wars will erupt as the church would try to enforce a theocracy government. There is no doubt in my mind about that.

Christians today have no hesitation about using these worldly, unspiritual, earthly ways which the bible says they are to avoid. These worldly ways of course are motor cars, airline travel, telephones, electric power, ships, outer space technology, high- speed printing, vaccinations, to the mundane things like condoms, and abortion via the pill, etc.

Most Christians when they become unwell with some medical condition don't seem to have a problem visiting what the bible call sorcerers, or in worldly term your local General Practitioner. Then they visit the local witch doctor for a potion to bring about a healing. The worldly name for witch doctor is of course your local pharmacist. As a Christian they should never have a medical condition as Jesus said. "Anything that you ask for in my name shall be given unto you". Why not just pray about it? After all have not these diseases been set upon you by Satan, "the god of this world."

Jim Lee.